Various anti-motion sickness drugs and core body temperature changes

Area of Science:

• Physiology
• Pharmacology
• Thermoregulation

Background:

• Motion sickness is linked to blood flow changes and inactivity, which can worsen core temperature drop during cooling.
• Investigating anti-motion sickness drugs' impact on core temperature during cooling is crucial for understanding their physiological effects.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of various anti-motion sickness drug classes in mitigating core temperature decrease.
• To determine if drugs effective against motion sickness also influence thermoregulation during cold exposure.

Main Methods:

• 12 healthy adults underwent Coriolis cross-coupling to induce motion sickness.
• Subjects were immersed in 18°C water, receiving placebo or one of six anti-motion sickness drugs (meclizine, dimenhydrinate, chlorpheniramine, promethazine + dexamphetamine, promethazine + caffeine, scopolamine + dexamphetamine).
• Core temperature and sickness severity were monitored throughout trials with a 7-day washout period.

Main Results:

• Promethazine + dexamphetamine and scopolamine + dexamphetamine significantly attenuated core temperature decrease compared to placebo.
• The degree of core temperature attenuation correlated with the drugs' effectiveness in reducing motion sickness severity.
• Less effective anti-motion sickness drugs showed a reduced impact on core temperature changes.

Conclusions:

• The most effective anti-motion sickness drugs also demonstrate the greatest ability to slow core temperature decline.
• These findings suggest a link between motion sickness mitigation and improved thermoregulation during cold exposure.